BE GENEROUS. November has always been my favorite month (and that's saying something considering how much I dislike picking favorites). I love the turning colors, the lack of soccer practices and games, the anticipation of the holidays and the crisp, fall air. November puts me in a good mood, and I like to share that with others.

Speaking of sharing, do you send handmade holiday cards? I always try to. I love the idea of bringing a smile to people's faces and sharing the holiday spirit and my own family's story. This month's layout from my Month-by-Month Scrapbookingbook features a photo shoot with my boys in an attempt to actually get my holiday cards finished before Christmas. The layout was one of those that simply fell into place. I love when that happens.

The journaling here tells the story, and the pictures illustrate it. I deliberately left the layout fairly simple, adding just the strip of patterned paper along the bottom. But wait! That's not actually patterned paper. It's the cover sheet (packaging) for a BasicGrey pack of papers-the sheet shows all the patterns included in the pack. It worked perfectly for this layout, and it left me with all the patterned paper to use on the cards themselves.

Creativity Challenge

Now it's time for this month's challenge. For November, I challenge you to use part of the packaging from a paper kit, an embellishment container, the shirt you bought your brother-in-law-anything. Others may call it being frugal, but I say it's just plain smart (and pretty darn handy, too). Join in the fun, and you'll have the opportunity to win a copy of my book, Month-by-Month Scrapbooking! Find out more at my Month-by-Month Scrapbooking group.

Free Sketches

Also, here are five sketches from the layout above to help jump-start your creativity:

More Ideas for the Month

Here are three more ideas to consider this November:

1. Volunteer your time. I don't have anything specific in mind just now, but I'm really hoping to find a service project that my boys and I can do together this year. Ideally, I'd like to find one that's ongoing, since need isn't limited to the holidays.

2. Try a new recipe. November boasts National Split Pea Soup Week. Why not find a recipe, make some and share? I've never actually made split pea soup (other than from a can) and may try this myself!

3. Photograph your average place setting. I always mean to photograph a table setting on Thanksgiving, and then I forget. Another idea is to photograph your Thanksgiving dinner groceries as you bring them in from the store. If you remember to photograph both, imagine what a great "Thanksgiving process" layout you could make.